John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 32:1

"Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in justice." — Isaiah 32:1 (ASV)

Behold, a King shall reign. He means that God will still be gracious to His Church, to restore her entirely; and the best method of restoring her is when good government is maintained, and when its whole administration is conducted with propriety and good order.

This prediction undoubtedly relates to Hezekiah and his reign, under which the Church was reformed and restored to its former splendor, for it was formerly in a wretched and ruinous condition. Ahaz, who was a wicked and disgraceful hypocrite, had corrupted everything according to his own wicked dispositions and had overturned the whole state of civil government and religion (2 Kings 16:2–3).

He therefore promises another king, namely, Hezekiah, whose power and righteousness shall restore the state of affairs which is thus wretched and desperate. In a word, he presents to us in this passage a lively picture of the prosperous condition of the Church; and as this cannot be attained without Christ, this description undoubtedly refers to Christ, of whom Hezekiah was a type, and whose kingdom he foreshadowed.

In righteousness and judgment. Here he follows the ordinary usage of Scripture, which employs these expressions to denote good government; for by righteousness is meant equity and good government, and by judgment is meant that part of equity which upholds good men and defends them from the assaults of the wicked. It is undoubtedly true that the duty of a good prince embraces a wider extent than righteousness and judgment; for his great aim ought to be to defend the honor of God and religion. But the ordinary usage of Scripture is to describe the whole observance of the law by the works of the second table; for, if we refrain from acts of injustice, if we aid, as far as it is in our power, those who are oppressed by others, and, in a word, if we maintain brotherly kindness, we give evidence of the fear of God, from which such fruits spring and grow. From a part, therefore, the Prophet has described the whole.

And princes shall rule. It is not without good reason that he likewise mentions nobles, for it would not be enough for a prince to be good if he were not supported by upright ministers and counselors. Frequently has the condition of the people under good princes been very bad; as we read of Nerva, under whose reign every kind of conduct was tolerated, so that many persons were far less favorably situated under his reign than under Nero, for the carelessness and indolence of a single individual gave freedom of action to many wicked men.

It is therefore necessary that a king should have good governors, who will supply the place of eyes and hands, and aid him in the righteous exercise of his authority. If this is not the case, a good king cannot advance a step without being more or less hindered by other men; and unless rulers move with a harmony resembling that found in musical instruments, the government of a state cannot be carried on with advantage.

On this subject, men ought to listen to the advice of Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, to unite with him able men fearing God, men of truth, and hating covetousness, and to appoint such men to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens (Exodus 18:21).

But at the present day, those who aid or pander to their lusts, and who favor and flatter them, are promoted by kings to honors and high rank, which are bestowed on them as the just reward of their flattery or base servility. Nor should we wonder if we see, almost throughout the whole world, states thrown into confusion, ranks overturned, and all good government despised and set aside; for this is the just punishment of our iniquities, and we deserve to have such governors, since we do not allow God to rule over us. How shall this extraordinary kindness of God be enjoyed by men who are openly rebellious and profane, or by wicked hypocrites who cast God behind them and cannot bear the yoke of Christ, through whom this prosperity and restoration of a declining Church is promised?